Vegetable production technical efficiency and technology gaps in Ghana
Date
2019
Authors
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Publisher
African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Abstract
This study characterizes the nature of the vegetable production shortfall throughout Ghana for
remedial action to be taken. By applying the meta-stochastic frontier analysis to a sample of okra,
pepper, and tomato farmers, the results show that the ranking of production inputs in production is in
the order of the land, hired labor, fertilizer, pesticide, and family labor. Furthermore, the results also
suggest that vegetable production is characterized by diseconomies of scale. Technical efficiency for
okra, pepper, and tomato farmers in Ghana is estimated at 54%, 74%, and 58% respectively, and this
has generally increased for okra and pepper but remained stable for tomato. Technology gaps are
close to non-existent for pepper cultivation, modest for tomato, and severe for okra. This implies that,
whilst there is no potential for production gain from redistributing pepper technology throughout
Ghana, there is limited potential for tomato and substantial potential for okra. Pepper farmers could
potentially benefit from managerial improvements.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Ghana, efficiency, okra, pepper, technology gap, tomato